Questions & Answers
Questions 103 (COD Page 490)
Now, let’s see. Now the next one here says, What is meant by predestination before the world begin; where is it in the Bible? Predestination before the world begin.
113 All right, my precious friend, let us turn to Ephesians the 1st chapter just for one place. We won’t take too long on this one I don’t think, unless it doesn’t answer right. And let’s just start reading here at Ephesians the 1st chapter.
114 Now, the first thing, I want to say this, that predestination is a bad word for a minister to-to use before an untrainedcongregation. See? It is. I don’t use it. Sometimes here at thechurch... But out in the audiences, out in the big... Wherethe-everything is piled in from everything, I watch that word.I always use the word foreknowledge, because predestinationis only the foreknowledge of God. God being infinite, byforeknowledge He knew everything, or He isn’t infinite. See,see? He knew what would happen. So by foreknowledgeHe could predestinate. That’s the reason that I believe thatGod-that God just doesn’t...
115 Just like the air you are breathing; I disagree with the Jehovah Witness on that idea that your breath is your spirit. It can’t be. See? Your spirit is in your heart. See? And you got your spirit before you’re-ever come to the world. God told Jeremiah that He knew him, and sanctified him, and made him a prophet over the nation-over the nations before he was ever conceived in his mother’s womb (see?), Jeremiah 1:4.
116 Now notice. So we see that all these things are foreknowledge. Seven hundred and twelve years before Jesus was born-before John was born, Isaiah saw him in a vision, said he was the voice of one crying in the wilderness-sevenhundred and twelve years. From the garden of Eden, Jesus Christ, before the foundation of the world...
117 How did... ? Let’s read this. Ephesians 1, let’s just start at the 1st chapter so-or the 1st verse. Paul, an apostle... (Now watch how he addresses this. I like this way of Paul. I like Paul, don’t you? Oh he was a wonderful servant of Christ. Now watch this.)
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and... the faithful in Christ Jesus.
118 Notice, this is not addressed to the world; this is not addressed to the outsider. This is to the Church that’s in Jesus Christ (oh, isn’t that lovely?), the Church in Jesus Christ. That’s... How do you get in Jesus Christ now? By one Spirit we’re all baptized into one Body. Now-how... And-and he’s directing this to Holy Ghost filled people (see?), not to the outside world.
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God our Father-the God and-our Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in all heavenly places-and spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ!
119 Oh, my! Wouldn’t you like to set in on some of that? Well, we are. Sure! Same Holy Spirit. He said now, as you’re setting together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus, God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings, Sister Rose. I believe-that-that’s... I-I couldn’t think of your name the other day. I believe you were in a prayer line or something. And I-I remember trying to think of it later, and I-but your name is Rose Austin, isn’t that right? I rem-... You used to come here at the tabernacle all the time. That’s it. All right. Now:
Blessed be the-the God of our Father... Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings... all spirit-... in heavenly places... (Let’s see if I’m readingthat-quoting that right.)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Assembled together now inheavenly places in Christ Jesus.)
According as he... (Now listen! Are you all ready?)... According as he has chosen us in him before... (I preached to you.)... before the foundation of the world,...
120 Now, see, he can talk to the Church. He wouldn’t say that to babies, but he’s talking to a Church that’s already in Christ. Now, he couldn’t go out here to just some church and say, “Well now, that.” It’s those elected Ones that’s in Christ.
121 Now, you say, “Well, I believe that I’m in Christ.” If you are, you’ve received the Holy Ghost, because that’s the only way that you can get into Christ. First Corinthians 12:13 (see?)-First Corinthians the 12th chapter. All right. “For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body (which is the Body of Christ).” Now! Then we set together in heavenly places in one accord (Hmm!), Holy Spirit moving among us, teaching us, showing us great things, bringing things to pass. Oh, what a place!
122 He said, “Now, you that’s been called like that, I want to speak to you, you, the chosen ones. That God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” Think of that. God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. God knew before the foundation of the world that I’d speak this same subject tonight. He’s infinite. And before there was a world... Oh! Whew! Here, get the Holy Ghost now. The Word will bring It. See? That’s how It come: “While Peter spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on them.” See, see?
123 Before there was a world you were in God’s thoughts to give you the Holy Ghost, because He knew that you’d be wanting It; and He chose you Himself because you desired... He chose you in Christ before you or Jesus, any of you, was on the earth. And He sent Jesus to die, to prepare the way to send the Holy Ghost, to bring you to Himself. Hmm!Oh, that just... I know I may... This is the church, so I’m at home now, you see. Oh, that is so rich to me. To think it’s
not what I wanted; it wasn’t my desires; it wasn’t my will; it wasn’t my choosing; I had not one thing to do with it. But before the world ever started, God saw us and put our name on the Lamb’s Book of Life. Before there even was a world! Talk about God! Whew!
124 I stood out yonder where that big glass... You can see a hundred and twenty million years of light-space. When I looked and seen that (I didn’t get to see through the glass, but I seen the picture where they took it)-and I just had to raise up my hands in there, in that place, and I said, “How great Thou art, how great Thou art!” And before one of those planets ever turned (Hallelujah!), God chose us in Jesus Christ. Now, how great Thou art. Yes, sir!
125 Before there was a world, before there was a planet, before there was a sun, before there was a moon, before there was light, before there was anything, when it was still God, God and His thoughts, the eternal thoughts of God chose you by predestination, by foreknowledge, to know that you would be on the earth, to know there would be sin.
126 Someone said, “Then, why did-why was there sin?” If there had never been sin, His attributes would have never have been a Saviour. There had to be a sinner so He could be a Saviour. There had to be a sick man so He could be a Healer. Amen! There you are. It had to be that way. It was God who-who saw it and foreordained it. The devil ain’t even in the race. Oh, he’s just a stump on the side of the road that God used to bring children to Him, crying, “Abba, Father.” No wonder on that day how the Angels will sing! When we’re singing the redemption stories, the Angels will bow their heads; don’t know what we’re talking about. Sure! They never was lost. They don’t know what it is. They don’t know how good we feel, to know that we which were once sinners and alienated from God, without hope, without mercy, without God in a world of corruption, dying, going to a devil’s hell; and God stooped down, and picked us up, and redeemed us; and now we’re above the Angels. Right now!
127 Which is it? A Angel is a servant. We’re sons and daughters. Which is the most thought of, your servant or your son or daughter? Oh, my! Prayer from a saint will go a million times higher than an Angel (yes, sir!), because he’s a son. Oh, whew, that’s right, my brother, sister.
128 You don’t... The church... I don’t believe this side of-of eternity how we’ll ever realize that what you are, the position that you are, that God has placed you, you Spirit-filled people. You are sons of God. Why, Angel’s a servant. You’re a son! An Angel can only bring you a message, but you have to act. Amen! You’re the actor on the scene. You’re the son. The Angel is your servant, to bring you the message, say, “Here, I brought you this message for you to do so-and-so. This is from Father. I bring it to you.” Yes. That’s all he is. Amen! You’re sons and daughters of God. Predestinated us! Now, watch just a minute.
According as he hath-he has chosen us... (Now, we didn’t choose... How could I choose Him? Four hundred billion, million, billion, trillion years ago, how could I have chose Him? But He chose me. Amen!
Oh, Brother Wood, that’s it. See?)... chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy... (Now, don’t try to make it yourself, ’cause you can’t.)... and without blame before him in love:
Oh, brother, that will answer a question I seen in here just a few minutes ago. Somewhere I-I seen it just... Oh, yes.
You said... How could a man live above... live so close to God, he would be without sin?
Listen to this:
... holy... from the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
129 His love did it. His love paid for my sins. His love taken it away. Love is the most powerful force there is. Take a husband that really loves his wife, he’d die for her freely. And brotherly love...
130 There was a man, a certain man, comes to this church once in a while, out in the country. Was setting at his brother’s house the other day. He said “What if something would happen to Brother Bill?” He said, “Gladly would I stick out my chest to catch a bullet for him.” See? Die for you. That’s love. Greater love has no man than them that will lay down his life for
his-his brother. See?
131 Love, chosen us in love before the foundation of the world. Now watch:
Having predestinated us... (Now, there’s the word predestinated.)... Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to-according to the good pleasure of his will.
132 What about that, Brother Mike? Isn’t that wonderful? He loved you. He loved you before there was a world. He knowed your nature; He knowed your weaknesses; He knowed your habits. He knowed all about you, what you was going to be. And then, when He looked all over the great universe, as it was, He said, “I choose you.” And when He did that, before there ever was a speck of-of light, then you’re eternal with God. When you receive the Holy Ghost, then you become eternal, because you have-you’re with God, you’re part of God. Can you see what I mean? You are as eternal as God is, because you are...
133 I’m as much Branham as my father was a Branham, because I’m a blood of a Branham. I’m a Branham with my father, because I was borned of my father. I’m a Branham with him. You are a Wood, because of your father being Wood. You’re as much Wood as Jim Wood is; you’re just Banks Wood. Amen! Oh, my! You’re a Neville because that your father was a Neville. You’re just as much Neville as he was Neville. Glory! We’re just as eternal as God is, because we are a part of God, sons and daughters of God, got Eternal Life, and can never perish. “I’ll raise it up at the last day.”
134 No wonder when they was fixing to cut Paul’s head off out there... He had to walk that death route. He wrote that last letter to Timothy, said, “I’ve fought a good fight; I’ve finished my course; I’ve kept the faith! Henceforth there’s laid up for me the crown the Righteous Judge will give me at that day, not only to me, but all that love His appearing.”
Then death said, “I’m coming after you.”
He said, “Where is your sting?”
The grave said, “I’ll get you.”
135 Said, “Where is your victory?” But he had an example. He looked back to Calvary and said, “But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” There you are. Hmm! It has to stir emotions; it’s just got to.
136 Life is... The Word is going out. Life, the word life catches Life, and within a human being something has to scream out. You know, someone said, “Billy, what makes the people raise up and throw up their hands or say, ‘Praise the Lord!’ or ‘Amen!’?” Watch what the Bible says.
137 Paul said, “If we spoke in unknown tongues, how does the unlearned... When he’s blessed-if he’d be blessed, how could he say, ‘Amen’?” See? You’ve got to know what you’re talking about. Unknown tongues, unless it’s by an interpretation or revelation... Then he can say, “Amen!” if he can understand it. He knows what he’s saying. See?
138 Now! Oh, my! Look over there that day when the enemy was coming in on David. And he give them all a flagon of wine and-and a-a good piece of meat and bread. And-and when the enemy was coming, they didn’t know what to do; and they gathered out there; and all of Israel gathered together under circumcision. (Now, this is under the old Jewish circumcision.)
And they lifted up their hands and said, “God, You are our God. You have protected us. You brought Moses the prophet, and You brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. You brought them up through the desert. When they were laying there, no one feared to-everyone feared to touch them, no one come near Your heritage. They was scared to.” Yet they were in the minority, but everybody let hands off of them. For everything that got onto them, they got stung back.
He said, “Oh, what a great God You are. And now, Lord, if we’ve sinned... Here’s our wives; here’s our little children; and we’re in distress at this hour.” Said, “Oh, what can we do? The enemy’s coming.” He said, “What can we do?”
139 And while they were praying the Spirit fell upon one out there in the audience, and he prophesied, “THUS SAITH THE LORD, you’ll not fight; stand still! (Amen!) Go down by a certain way and meet them there.” And He caused confusion among them, and they killed one another. Hmm! There you are. Predestinated to be chosen in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world. Now.